Kaffeine is a very versatile KDE media player that, by default, utilizes Xine as its backend. It has a simple but intuitive interface and is easy to setup. Amongst its list of supported formats are CDDA, VCD, DVD, .... and, since versions >0.5, it also provides full DVB support:

+

Kaffeine is a very versatile [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDE KDE] media player that, by default, utilizes [[Xine]] as its backend. It has a simple but intuitive interface ([http://kaffeine.kde.org/features/dvb1.jpg example screenshot]) and is easy to setup. Amongst its list of supported formats are CDDA, VCD, DVD, .... and, since versions >0.5, it also provides full DVB support.

+

+

{{Note|This page is a mess; contains dated information; and smacks of ungrateful, whiny, biased, self-centred end-user comments....in other words, it could stand for some clean up :)}}

+

+

'''The latest version is 0.8.8'''.

+

+

* TV and Radio

* [[Time Shifting]]

* [[Time Shifting]]

* [[Recording]] -- including unattended recording

* [[Recording]] -- including unattended recording

−

* Streaming

+

* Network streaming (transmission and reception)

−

* [[EPG]]

+

* [[EPG]], EPG-driven recording timers, OSD EPG now and next.

* AC3

* AC3

* DVB subtitles

* DVB subtitles

−

* HDTV (mpeg2)

+

* HDTV: Kaffeine will display HDTV delivered over DVB-S2 or DVB-S (e.g. [[BBC HD]] on Astra 2 at 28.8 degrees East). To use multithreaded ffmpeg decoding set the xine option '''video.processing.ffmpeg_thread_count''' equal to the number of CPUs, ie. 2 for a Dual-core or 4 for a Quad-core (in the GUI it is in Settings/Xine engine config/Video/Advanced). BBC HD and LUXE HD working.

+

* DVB-S2 support (via [[S2API]]) was released in Kaffeine version 0.8.8 (23.05.2009). A patch (no longer necessary) adding DVB-S2 support to Kaffeine is available here: http://linuxtv.org/pipermail/linux-dvb/2008-October/029839.html.

* Handles multiple devices of any type (DVB-{C,S,T} and ATSC<sup id="fn_1_back">[[#fn_1|1]]</sup> ).... and even if you have only one DVB device, Kaffeine can simultaneously play and record different channels within a same transponder).

−

(even with only one device, simultaneously watch and record channels within same transponder)

<cite id="fn_1">[[#fn_1_back|Note 1:]] </cite> Scanning with ATSC hardware is supported since version 0.8.7. For older versions, to configure tuning support for ATSC devices, refer to the directions contained in [http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/message.php?msg_id=E1HGuNx-0003qI-4F%40sc8-sf-web9.sourceforge.net this thread].

+

+

==Available Flavours==

+

===Bleeding-edge KDE3 Version===

+

+

To make use of the latest features (e.g. HDTV and [[S2API]] support) you might need to compile bleeding-edge versions of ffmpeg,xine-lib

+

and kaffeine.

+

+

Remove old versions of ffmpeg,xine-lib and kaffeine first (but type 'ffmpeg' first to check what

+

compilation options were used).

+

+

Get SVN ffmpeg, check what compilation options your old version used, compile and install

The latest Kaffeine release is a KDE3 application although it can be made to run under KDE4. A KDE4 version (kaffeine4) is under development here http://websvn.kde.org/trunk/extragear/multimedia/kaffeine/ .

+

As of May 2009 it is unfortunately only '''pre-alpha'''. It plays DVDs, videos and finds ''some'' (not all) DVB channels but with a host of missing features and options. When you consider that KDE is already at version 4.2 and extremely good, it's a mystery why

+

Kaffeine 4 development has lagged behind. Those interested in the DVB

+

features of Kaffeine may be alarmed to hear that the

+

the mature core DVB (i.e. not just GUI) code from Kaffeine 3 has been almost entirely dropped and is being ''rewritten'' by the new maintainer.

+

Why? Just expect pain.

+

Please do try it out and give feedback, give help and report bugs (http://bugs.kde.org).

G) In "Channels" window, make sure the "Source" is set correctly (i.e. to "ATSC" in this example), then hit "Start Scan" button -- the scan will take a couple of minutes or so

+

+

H) Once the scan is complete, highlight all channels found in the right-hand box "Scan Results" (or all that you would like to save) then click "Add Selected" and those channels will then appear in the left-hand box called "Channels"

+

+

I) Hit "OKAY" to get out of "Channels" window and you will return to Kaffeine "Digital TV" window with your selected channels appearing in the left margin column.

+

j) Double click on a channel to select -- and now hopefully you are watching !

−

[http://hftom.free.fr/rc/dvblive.jpg Example Kaffeine screenshot]

+

===KDE4 Version with OpenGL OSD===

+

Some work has been done on a better on-screen display (OSD) using OpenGL.

+

It is under development here http://websvn.kde.org/trunk/extragear/multimedia/kaffeinegl/. It looks

+

like this repo is for testing the interface rather than a full Kaffeine program. Hopefully the result

+

will be an improved OSD in Kaffeine4. Try it out and contribute: get KDE4 (e.g. http://kubuntu.org) and do the

Latest revision as of 02:24, 27 January 2012

Kaffeine is a very versatile KDE media player that, by default, utilizes Xine as its backend. It has a simple but intuitive interface (example screenshot) and is easy to setup. Amongst its list of supported formats are CDDA, VCD, DVD, .... and, since versions >0.5, it also provides full DVB support.

Note: This page is a mess; contains dated information; and smacks of ungrateful, whiny, biased, self-centred end-user comments....in other words, it could stand for some clean up :)

HDTV: Kaffeine will display HDTV delivered over DVB-S2 or DVB-S (e.g. BBC HD on Astra 2 at 28.8 degrees East). To use multithreaded ffmpeg decoding set the xine option video.processing.ffmpeg_thread_count equal to the number of CPUs, ie. 2 for a Dual-core or 4 for a Quad-core (in the GUI it is in Settings/Xine engine config/Video/Advanced). BBC HD and LUXE HD working.

Get SVN kaffeine. Remove all projects (subdirs) you don't want to build. At least you need admin and kaffeine of course.
Configure, making sure your current kernel includes are found (it needs linux/dvb/frontend.h) using --with-extra-includes if necessary. Compile and install.

KDE4 Version

The latest Kaffeine release is a KDE3 application although it can be made to run under KDE4. A KDE4 version (kaffeine4) is under development here http://websvn.kde.org/trunk/extragear/multimedia/kaffeine/ .
As of May 2009 it is unfortunately only pre-alpha. It plays DVDs, videos and finds some (not all) DVB channels but with a host of missing features and options. When you consider that KDE is already at version 4.2 and extremely good, it's a mystery why
Kaffeine 4 development has lagged behind. Those interested in the DVB
features of Kaffeine may be alarmed to hear that the
the mature core DVB (i.e. not just GUI) code from Kaffeine 3 has been almost entirely dropped and is being rewritten by the new maintainer.
Why? Just expect pain.
Please do try it out and give feedback, give help and report bugs (http://bugs.kde.org).
Get KDE4.2 (e.g. from http://kubuntu.org) and do the following:

G) In "Channels" window, make sure the "Source" is set correctly (i.e. to "ATSC" in this example), then hit "Start Scan" button -- the scan will take a couple of minutes or so

H) Once the scan is complete, highlight all channels found in the right-hand box "Scan Results" (or all that you would like to save) then click "Add Selected" and those channels will then appear in the left-hand box called "Channels"

I) Hit "OKAY" to get out of "Channels" window and you will return to Kaffeine "Digital TV" window with your selected channels appearing in the left margin column.

j) Double click on a channel to select -- and now hopefully you are watching !

KDE4 Version with OpenGL OSD

Some work has been done on a better on-screen display (OSD) using OpenGL.
It is under development here http://websvn.kde.org/trunk/extragear/multimedia/kaffeinegl/. It looks
like this repo is for testing the interface rather than a full Kaffeine program. Hopefully the result
will be an improved OSD in Kaffeine4. Try it out and contribute: get KDE4 (e.g. http://kubuntu.org) and do the
following: